About Sydney Licht

Sydney Licht’s still-life subjects are not merely quotidian, household objects, but the packaging, shopping bags, boxes, and inevitable detritus in which they are sold and purchased. In her own words: “I am interested in updating the conventions of still life by picturing items that reflect the way we currently live.” She paints her subjects as geometric, flat forms that begin to appear abstract, architectural, and almost monumental. Licht began her career painting large, Neo-Expressionist paintings, eventually turning to her more autobiographical subjects but retaining her careful sense of color. She works with restricted palettes, limiting herself to only four or five colors per work, and avoids using black completely.